Thomas Charles Montgomery, known as “Tim” or “Coach” by friends and family, of Melbourne Beach, Florida, passed away on Thursday at 74, surrounded by family after a long battle with cancer.

He was born and raised in Kane, Pennsylvania, the “Icebox of Pennsylvania” and earned all-state honors as a high school player where he graduated in 1963. He won the most votes that year in the state to play in the Big 33 game. Sought after by the Pittsburgh Pirates and many top tier colleges for football, he chose football, finally convinced to play for Penn State University for coach Rip Engle by then assistant coach Joe Paterno, who came and sat on his front steps waiting for Tim to come home from school.

As a member of the Penn State Nittany Lions and two-time Letterman, he garnered AP Second Team All-American Honors as a star safety and played in both the Gator Bowl and Senior Bowl. Playing for the 10th ranked 1967 Penn State team, Paterno was quoted as saying, “Montgomery is the single most important man of our defensive team.”

After graduating from Penn State, Montgomery taught and played semi-professional football in Richmond, Virginia.

Montgomery’s storied football coaching career began the following year where he got his start as an assistant coach in Altoona for legendary coach Earl Strom. He then accepted his first head coach position in Shamokin where his team won the Eastern Conference Championship in 1975. He left Shamokin in 1977 to coach nearby in Williamsport where he taught physical education and health and coached the Millionaires for more than 25 years. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Associate Hall of Fame in 2003 as the winningest coach in Williamsport Area High School’s 120-year history.

Montgomery was known for his quick sense of humor, his work ethic, love for his family and God and commitment to instilling values and helping kids to develop discipline and life skills through education and sports that have impacted generations.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Judy, daughters, Heather of Chicago, Marcie of Pittsburgh and son Timmy and daughter-in-law Celeste and grandsons Tate and Mason of Boston. He is also survived by his older brother, Monte of Midlothian, Virginia, and sisters Mary Ott of San Diego and Sally Cummins of Hummelstown and many beloved nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. at the Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Indiatlantic, Florida on Sunday.